Come Home
by ruca518
Summary: 22 years ago Caroline and the Mystic Falls gang ran for their lives. Separating for their own safety they have not seen each other since that day. How does being hunted by an enemy change you, and what happens when that evil finds you. And what happens when you keep dreaming of a man you haven't seen in 21 years, who keeps telling you to come home.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- This is a quick prologue to see if anyone likes this story and if I should continue writing it. Please Please review and let me know if you like it and want me to continue. **

**Summary **

**22 years ago Caroline and the Mystic Falls gang ran for their lives. Separating for their own safety they have not seen each other since that day. How does being hunted by an enemy change you, and what happens when that evil finds you. And what happens when you keep dreaming of a man you haven't seen in 21 years, who keeps telling you to come home. **

11:56 pm

It was the eve of her 21st birthday, in a few short minutes her life would change, she would change. She would become a true tribrid. As she sat watching the clock counting down the minutes, she hoped the witches were right. The witches had foretold that on her 21st birthday she would be gifted with the remaining magic from her grandmother, and that her vampire heritage would finally break through, stopping her aging and allowing her to control her change. Making it possible to shift whenever she chose, making her as indestructible as her father with the added bonus of her grandmother's magic. Above everything else it was that magic she needed now.

11:57pm

The witches had always said she would be the most powerful supernatural creature to ever exist. The perfect blend of werewolf, vampire and witch. Her werewolf traits had been the first to show themselves which made sense being that she was half werewolf. In fact she had simply been born that way, with a heightened sense of smell and hearing, with the accelerated healing of a werewolf who had activated the curse, and yellow glowing eyes. Although over the first few weeks of her life her eyes shifted into being the same blue as her father's they would still shift to yellow whenever she lost control over her emotions. However she did not experience her first change until the full moon after her 16th birthday. The magic in her blood did not reveal itself until her 12th birthday. It started as small things, a burst of wind when she got upset, lighting a candle with her mind, and the ability to do locator spells. The witches told her that her magic would grow as she learned more and more control, culminating in the final release of her grandmother's magic to her on her 21st birthday, making her as powerful as her grandmother had once been. With that released her vampire traits would finally break through, stopping her aging and starting her need to drink blood to survive, making her a true immortal hybrid like her father.

11:58 pm

She loved her family. All of them, the vampires of New Orleans, the werewolves of the Crescent clan, her uncle, her aunt, her step father, her mother but most of all her heart belonged to her daddy. To say she was a daddy's girl was understatement, although she resembled her mother in looks except her eyes, mentally she was all her dad. There was an unbreakable connection between them, and that was why she was doing this. As she lit the sage that would spell the room so no one could hear her, she looked over the spell she had secretly been studying for month now. It was best that no one knew what she was trying to do. As the princess of New Orleans, she was used to getting her way, and come hell or high water she was going to make this happen, even if she had to do this spell every night until she succeeded.

11:59pm

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She set up the herbs she needed, the salt, and the candle. Looking around the art studio she shared with her father, she smiled, it felt right to do this spell here. Grabbing the picture of her dad she had decided to use, she felt more and more certain that what she was doing was right, not just for him but for her too. Setting the picture down she picked up her father's sketchbook and began turning the pages, it was one he had not used in years, although he never said why she always assumed it was because it cause him too much pain to look at the images he had drawn. She stared down at the image of a woman she longed to meet. A woman she felt like she already knew from the stories her father told only her, stories of how he had loved this woman and how she had gone missing. From her earliest youth she had made up stories how she would finally meet this woman, about where she was and what she was doing, stories of how she would find her way back into their lives. Picking her favorite picture of the woman she tore in from the book and set it next to the picture of her father inside the ring of salt she had drawn.

12:00 am

As the clock struck midnight, she waited for a brief moment nothing happen, then she felt it the magic within her surged, crashing into her soul like a tidal wave. Looking at herself in the mirror she smiled as she watched as her eyes flashed yellow and the veins in her face darkened. It was here, all of it. Taking a deep breath, she reined in her new vampire instincts, and flashed to the other side of the room where everything for her spell awaited her. Again she smiled as knelt in front of her preparation, moving this fast was going to take some getting used to.

12:01 am  
Lighting the candle she began the spell, holding the picture of her father into the flames and watching it dissolve into ash. She chanted the words louder and stronger as she picked up the candle and dripped the ash filled wax over the image of the woman face. Again with even more strength she chanted the words a third time as she set the candle down and blow it out. As the smoke began to rise she whispered the message she longed for the woman to receive.

"Come home Caroline"

12:02 am

Cleaning up the spell and getting rid of evidence, she put out the sage in just enough time to hear her father yell "Bethany Rebekah-Caroline Mikaelson. Where are you? If the witches were right you're going to need to feed"

Smiling to herself, she thought bring my family back together, but answered "I am in the art studio and you don't have to yell anymore"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- I am such a dork I posted the wrong copy of the prologue…Absolutely embarrassing. So sorry guys the first part of this should have been where the prologue ended. I posted the start of chapter 1 to make up for my mistake. Please Please Review or PM me and let me know if you like where this is going.**

Half a world way

Caroline was peacefully dreaming, it was a rare occasion over the last 22 years. Most of her dreams were plagued with images of her last days in Mystic Falls or paranoid nightmares of being found. But not tonight, tonight she dreamt of her mother. It was a simple dream she was sitting in the kitchen of her childhood home having coffee with her mom. Laughing, smiling, discussing her childhood memories, and her future at college.

"When are you going to pick a major sweetheart?" Liz smiled

"Mom I already told you I am going to major in communications, did you forget?" Caroline laughed

Liz took her daughter's hand in hers, Liz's eyes filled with deep sadness "You have to make a decision honey, you can't dodge this forever"

Caroline opened her mouth in shock "But mom I already told"

Caroline was cut off by her mom; in the saddest voice Caroline had ever heard Liz said "I didn't raise you to be a runner"

Caroline watched in terror as her mother face turn ashen, and she disintegrated. Her moment of peace had turned into a moment of true horror, as Caroline eyes began to well with tears.

"Mom" Caroline's tear soaked voice called. No answer.

"MOM" She screamed. Only silence answered.

Her eyes searched the kitchen. Nothing. Laying her head down on the kitchen table.

Softly she whispered "Mommy" in the voice of a lonely broken little girl.

"Come home Caroline" she heard a familiar voice say. A voice she had not heard in 22 years.

Caroline's head shot up "Klaus" her voice questioned.

Before her was a figment of Klaus, a sheer transparent version of the man she had known so long ago. He was so faint it was as if he was part of her dream and wasn't all at the same time.

"Come home Caroline" he said again before completely disappearing.

**END PROLOGUE**.

Chapter 1

6 months later

Bethany practically growled in frustration as she prepared the spell she would be casting for the 6th time. After her first attempted had fail she began casting her spell on the night of the full moon each month, to give the spell extra power and also because let's face it, it was easier to hide something when half your family were wolves.

Her magic had grown exponentially since her first attempt to reach Caroline. On her first three attempts she wasn't sure if the spell had even worked, but on the fourth attempt she felt something click inside her, and instantly she knew the spell had worked. She had contacted Caroline. However almost three months later, still no Caroline. Maybe Caroline was ignoring the message, maybe the message wasn't clearly enough, Bethany wasn't 100% sure. The only thing she did know was she a Mikaelson, and no one defied a Mikaelson for long. So if after this attempt Caroline didn't come home willing, Bethany would find a new way to reach her.

Caroline could feel the bark of the tree scraping against her back, she could feel her legs wrapped around Klaus's lean body. She could feel her body shutter under his roaming hands. She could hear her voice moaning his name. But most of all she could feel his lips. Wandering down the hallow of her neck then back to her lips before moving along her chin line and finally settling just below ear.

Klaus breathlessly whispered the words " Come home Caroline" And then he was gone just like that day in the wood so many years ago, leaving her feeling a loneliness and an emptiness, the likes of which she had never known.

Caroline shot up in bed, her body still trembling. The dreams were getting more and more real, more and more intense. Every night for almost 6 months now she dreamed of Klaus. At first he had only made appearances right before the moment when she awoke but now Klaus dominated almost every moment of her dreams. The dreams were of different times different places, yet always ending exactly the same, with the words "come home Caroline."

Why Klaus? She didn't know, she had not seen him since that day in the woods, three months before they had fled Mystic Falls. Maybe all this hiding had finally made her lose her mind. No. Maybe it was her subconscious telling her, she had made a mistake by not running to Klaus for protection when this all started. She put that thought out of her mind. It didn't matter what her subconscious thought, she refused to drag Klaus into this. She refused to then and she refused to now. Maybe it Markos. Yes that made sense Caroline thought to herself. A new method of torture, a way of flushing her out, of playing on her emotions so she would do  
something stupid and reveal herself. Markos was smart enough to know that if sent her images of anyone else she would recognize it as a trap, but Klaus. Well let's face it this wasn't the first time, someone had pretended to be Klaus to lead her into danger.

No matter how bad it got she wouldn't return home, wouldn't allow herself to be caught. Caroline promised herself. Markos could send all the damn dreams he wanted if that was his new game, she would not give in she would not endanger the people she loved. She was Caroline Forbes dammit, or at least she used to be.

While she was awake and to the rest of the world she was Kelly Williamson. To the world Caroline Forbes had died the moment she had left Mystic Falls, for her it had been slightly longer to let that girl go, but now she was only Caroline in her dreams.

The first time she had dreamt of Klaus she had been in Greece living as Amber  
Hansen. A quiet girl whose parents had recently died in a tragic car accident, making it seem reasonable that she didn't want to socialize with any of her neighbors. She had dyed her hair red and cut it short to take on the persona. Amber was an all organic kind of girl; she had built herself garden, read books on her front porch at night. It had been a peaceful quiet life for the 6 month before the first dream came.

That first dream had set her on edge she was jittery all day long. Something about it hadn't felt right, something about it was so much worse than her usual nightmares. When Klaus made a second appearance in her dreams that evening, Caroline decide it was time to leave Amber Hansen behind. She hated to lose an identity so quickly, every time she let them go it felt like she lost another piece of herself. Although she had enjoyed the peace and quiet, Amber had given her, what she would hate most about losing Amber was the knowledge that Stefan was somewhere in Egypt. It was the closest the pair had been to each other since their initial run from Mystic Falls.

Stefan had no clue how close she was to him. That was part of the deal they made the day they left. Only one person in the group was allowed to know your approximate location, and if you ever found yourself in the same location as anyone you both immediately had to move on. It was your responsibility to move should you find that the person whose location you kept secret got too close. Egypt was closest Stefan would ever be to her, and she hated losing the small amount of comfort it gave her. She was responsible for Stefan's location. Stefan for Matt's, Matt for Elena's and Damon's, Elena alone knew her location and Damon alone knew Tyler's. Or at least Damon had known Tyler's location before Tyler had been found. Markos had killed Tyler just over 20 years ago. As far as Caroline knew, Tyler was the only member of their group to be found and she refused to be the second.

So she grabbed the duffle bag she kept packed, it contained everything she need to make a quick escape, money, extra clothes, the means to make new identities and an old photo album filled with pictures of her mom her dad, and the entire Mystic Falls gang.

She boarded a plane to Germany, usually she spend months inventing someone  
new, that control was the last small part of herself she held onto. There wasn't much she could control these days, but she could at least choose who she became. However right now she didn't have that luxury. The fear that Markos had somehow found her drove her from Greece without any time to plan. On the plane flight to Frankfurt she came up with a name. Kelly Williamson. She liked it; Kelly was common enough to not attract attention, but Williamson reminded her of her dad. Smiling inwardly to herself, she felt like she could be Kelly Williamson for a while something about it was comforting. The fact Williamson sounded like Mikaelson had nothing to do with it she told herself and even if it did it's not like Klaus would ever know she practically stole his last name.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – hey guys here is the second half of the first chapter. I am currently working on the second chapter, and it will be up all in one piece. Please Please Review or PM me. I love feedback.**

As Caroline arrived at the airport she was busy trying to create Kelly Williamson, what would she act like, dress like, where would she travel? She sat down in the waiting area, watching people board and depart on planes. Amber had been all flowing skirt and peasant tops, but she felt Kelly would be edgier, darker, and spunkier.

A pair of tourist caught her attention; something about them reminded her of herself and Stefan. Suddenly a memory popped in her head. It was a small moment in all the moment that they had shared but something about it felt right. It was from when no emotions Elena had thrown that party at the Salvatore's house. The words "Look at her she having fun and we could all use a little fun" screamed in her mind and in that instant she knew exactly who Kelly would be. She picked up a new outfit from the designer store in the airport. Prada she decided Kelly was going to be Prada girl, in the ladies room she riffled through her supply of hair dyes and contact lens. Deciding on a color she had never dared to use before, she began the process of becoming someone new. 45 minutes and one dead bathroom attendant later Amber Hansen was gone and Kelly Williamson was born.

As she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror she caught sight of the dead woman, who had walked in at precisely the wrong moment, and she had no choice. If Markos was truly zeroing in on her, she couldn't afford to leave any lose ends.

"Sorry" she whispered to the dead woman.

Killing people still bothered her, it was part of herself she had yet to lose. Over time she had become more and more okay with the idea but only as a necessary evil to surviving, and she always tried to make it as quick and painless as possible. She arranged the body to look like it was occupying a stall; no one would realize the woman was missing until long after she boarded a new flight.

Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she took in Kelly, blue black hair, brown eyes, black pencil skirt, burnt orange lace low cut halter that showed enough cleavage to attract attention but not enough to look trashy or cheap. Killer stilettos and leather jacket finished off the new outfit. It was a look that said classy daring sex appeal.

"What do you think Bon" she asked aloud knowing Bonnie couldn't and wouldn't answer.

Applying a thick layer of black eye liner she laughed imaging her best friend's response. If only the blonde cheerleader she had once been could see her now.

She looked over the departing flights. What would Kelly think was fun? Something with a night life, where a party could be found every night of the week. Money was no obstacle, she had taken care of that problem 10 years ago with an act, she didn't need nor want to think about ever again.

Amsterdam...she finally decided. Kelly's new home would be Amsterdam. Pulling the burn phone from her duffle bag, she placed a single phone call.

"Care?" Elena's voice came over the line.

"Amsterdam" was all Caroline replied, her heart breaking as she heard her best friend's voice.

"Alright love you" there was the slightest crack in Elena's voice, that told Caroline this conversation was just as hard for Elena as it was her.

"Love you too" Caroline said hanging up the phone.

Catching a tear before it fell. Fun she thought she most definitely needed some fun.

She had been in Amsterdam for close to 6 months now, and every night was a party. Kelly was a trust fund kid who lived to have a drink in her hand and a guy drooling at her feet. As the dreams of Klaus grew more intense so did her partying avoiding sleep until it was absolutely necessary. She lived in a pent house suite. She took a page out of the book of Katherine, and compelled all her new "friends" not to know who she was unless she was with them. She was a regular at the hottest clubs, whose owners she compelled to always let her drink for free. Kelly's life was a distraction from the torment of her dreams and the constant fear that Markos was closing in. After 6 months she wasn't sure why he hasn't made his move yet, maybe he was waiting for the day the amulet would arrive in her care. Two birds, one stone. If he got her and the amulet he would be that much closer to completing his master plan. The amulet contained all of the traveler's magic, and with her he would be one step closer to Bonnie.

Bonnie held the key to the one thing Markos needed unlock the magic trapped within the amulet. Any day at any time Damon could call to pass the amulet to her. When they fled they created a different order for passing the amulet along. Making it less likely that if one of them was caught the person who location they knew would be the person with the amulet. Damon would pass to her, she to Matt, Matt to Stefan, Stefan to Elena, Elena to Tyler, Tyler to Damon. Each person passed it on after an undisclosed amount of time. After Tyler died Elena and Damon, who as far as she knew were still on the run together watched over the amulet as a pair keeping it longer than most. She wasn't sure Damon even had possession of the amulet right now but then again that was the point. Still the phone call could come, and she would send a compelled human to retrieve it from another human Damon had compelled in a location of Damon's choosing. It was another move they had taken from the Katherine Pierce playbook.

In the beginning they had actually met up in person to pass off the amulet, but after a close call, where Markos had brunt an entire English hamlet to the ground less than 6 hours after Stefan had passed the amulet off into Elena's care, they had started compelling people. That had been 19 years ago. The longest she had ever kept the amulet had been three years, she had been Ashley Wainscott at the time. Studying at Oxford, she had basically hidden away in their library for four years. It had always bothered her that she had never had a chance at completing her higher education. In those four years she mastered every language she could, preparing herself for the world. Learning customs and cultures so she could better blend in.

After tonight's dream of Klaus and that day in the woods there was no way she was going back to sleep. She needed a distraction. Perhaps someone with blonde hair and blue eyes would do the trick.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- hey guys thank you for reading and the support. Please review I love them. For everyone wondering when we will see Klaus and Caroline coming together, I have it planned out for the end of the next chapter. **

Another night, another dream. This time she was on the outside looking in, watching the scene unfold as those it was a movie. It was the night of the Mikaelson Ball. She watched herself enter the room in the gorgeous blue dress Klaus had given her. She smiled at the memory mouthing the words she knew she would say. Her attention was torn from the scene by the slightest pressure on hand. Looking to her left and she realized Klaus was standing next to her holding her hand as he too watched the scene unfold. He gave her a small smile before turning his attention back to the dream versions of themselves. They were now on the dance floor.

"Don't" she heard herself say.

"On to more mannered subjects then like how ravishing you look in that dress" Dream Klaus replied.

Suddenly the room began to shift morphing into the town square on the night they had fled Mystic Falls. Looking down Caroline realized they were still dressed as they had been at the ball. Klaus in his tuxedo, her in the blue ball gown.

Knowing all too well the events of that evening, she dropped Klaus's hand and began to run towards her mother who was being approached from behind by a traveler. But the ball gown was too thick too heavy and it slowed her down. She watched with new horror as the Caroline from that night arrived a millisecond too late to stop the traveler from slitting her mother's throat. She watched herself snap the traveler's neck before catching her mother's falling body.

Klaus appeared beside her then, taking her hand and leading her into the center of the fray. She let him as she watched herself rocking back and forth cradling her mother. Tears began to soak her face as her mother's blood began to soak the front of her body.

As she and Klaus started to waltz, turning and spinning in Klaus's arms she watched with new eyes as the terrible events unfolded. She watched as Elena snapped the neck of a traveler, who had been making his to her back as she held on to her mother's body. She watched the light leave Jeremy's eyes as Markos ripped his heart from his chest, and dropped it to the ground with a sickening wet thud. She watched as Damon and Stefan made their way through a group of travelers snapping necks and tearing out throats are they went. She watched as Sloan stabbed Luke. She watched as Tyler killed Sloan. She watched as Markos forced Enzo to hallucinate. How Enzo had called Maggie's name right before Markos severed his head from his body. She heard the bloody curdling scream that came from Elena the moment she realized her brother was dead. She watched as Markos killed Liv and claimed the amulet. She watched as she and Elena through themselves onto Markos determined to make him pay for the death of the people they loved. How for a second it seemed like they were winning, before the remaining travelers began to chat. She succeeded in wrestling the amulet from Markos grasp, but not before Markos grabbed Elena around the throat.

She watched was Markos lifted Elena in the air and shook her saying "Give me the anchor doppelganger, you can't hide her from me forever"

The second before Markos plunged the travelers knife into Elena, his body fell to the ground, the sound of a gun shot rang out. As all the travelers began to fall one by one, multiple gun shots filling the air, she looked to the top of the Grille where she knew Matt was perched with a high powered hunting rifle. As the waltz between her and Klaus came to an end, she watched as Markos rose from the dead, and they fled into the night, taking the amulet and Bonnie with them.

As tears continued to stream down her face she looked into Klaus's blue eyes as if to ask why this happened. His only reply was the words "Come home Caroline".

As Caroline awoke the first thing she noticed was that her cheeks were wet, as though the tears from her dream had been real. The second thing she noticed was the soft breathing of a sleeping person. She turned her head to look at the person sleeping next to her, lean body, sandy blond hair. For her a second her breathe caught in throat as she thought Klaus, but then she remember the night before, and her need for a distraction. Most defiantly not Klaus, crap what was his name. For the life of her she couldn't remember. B something. Nope. T something. Nope. Wait wait. It was a J, his name started with a J. Josh she decided. Tapping the sleeping figure on the shoulder she said "Umm hey Josh you need to get up"

Without opening his eyes the man replied "Jordan my name is Jordan"

Crap. Caroline thought to herself.  
"Well either way you need to get up and I need you to look at me." Caroline commanded

As the man opened his eyes and looked at her, she stared straight back starting her compulsion, after all killing her lovers felt wrong. The whole black widow thing was for rare and desperate times only.

"Last night you will remember going home with a red haired women to her apartment downtown, you will remember that you had a great time but she was kinda kinky and that why you have a bruise and bite mark on your neck. Other than thinking she was a great lay, you will never think of her again, do you understand"

The man nodded.

"Oh and don't scream" she finished as her face darkened and she bit in the flesh of his neck.

Bethany awoke in the same position she had fallen asleep. Laying on her stomach her hand out stretched holding her grandmother's grimoire. Almost a full month had passed since her last casting and she was searching for a new and improved way to reach Caroline. She had found a spell to call to a lost love, by it would require her dad's blood. Something she couldn't just ask for without a hundred questions. She could always nick him during her sword lessons and get it that way but it felt wrong to steal her dad's blood even if it was for his own benefit.

She would come back to it later after coffee she decided. Putting the book under her pillow she stretched, and noticing the entire house seemed to busseling. Somewhere downstairs she could make out the sounds of her father and uncle arguing. Not wasting any time to change out of her black tank top and bright pink fuzzy hello kitty pajama pants she as quietly as possible she flashed downstairs. Leaning against the wall just outside the kitchen she listened.

"I don't care, Elijah" was all she heard before her father abruptly stopped what he was saying and called "Good morning little love"

Damn. She had been caught, she have never quite mastered the skill of ease dropping on her father. If he didn't want her know something she wouldn't he was a sneaky bastard that way.

"Good morning" Bethany said nonchalantly walking in to the kitchen going directly to the fridge and pulling out a blood bag. Turning to get a cup she realized that there was a fourth person in the room, a brunette woman.

"Aunt Davina" Bethany smiled. "What are you doing here?"

It was no secret that Davina and her dad didn't exactly getting along, something to do with her dad killing Davina's first love. But after Bethany's magic began to show Davina had taken her under her wing and the two had finally found a way to co-exist.

Davina enveloped Bethany in a hug and replied "Just a short visit I had some business to discuss with your uncle but I have to run"

Davina turned to Elijah and said "About that matter we discussed trust me we will handle things on our end"

As Davina exited the kitchen Bethany turned to her dad and uncle "So what's up"

She watched as her dad gave her uncle a warning glare "Nothing sweetheart"

Filling a cup half way up with blood, and moving to the coffee pot to fill up the other half Bethany raised an eye brow questioningly "Uh huh sure than what's all this" waving her around at all the people who were cleaning and preparing the house, almost as if the queen of Sheba would arriving soon.

Bethany continued to look back and forth between her dad and her uncle waiting for a reply. Her uncle gave her father a knowing smirk but said nothing.

"Your mother would like you come to the bayou for the next few days the Northwest Pacific clan is coming in for the full moon and she would like you there" her father deflected.

Bethany gave a frustrated huff and took a sip of her coffee/blood mixture. "Why they just want to see the miracle Mikaelson baby all grown up and that wasn't answering my question"

"Now now little love" Klaus began in a chiding tone "You know it's not just about that, with your mother's place in the hierarchy, it's important that the crescent clan, which includes you, presents themselves with as much strength as possible. Seeing a strong future generation is a big part of that, and the Wolves of Wolf Lake could be a powerful ally"

Bethany rolled her eyes.

"Mom has Riley and Andrea for that and I am technically not a crescent and the Cates family is just looking for the next mythical white wolf which I am not" she stated matter of factly.

Her half brother and sister were true crescent wolves, but she was a Mikaelson, a fact she was damn proud of. Although they might be half sibling they whole loved each other, never once had she felt like an outsider looking in like her father had. Not even with her step father, Jackson, who had always treated her like she was his own. And not because her mother would never have tolerated anything less, and not because her father would have had his head on a silver platter if he thought for a second she was being treated as less than her siblings, but because he genuinely loved her. He truly thought of her as his child, no different than her siblings, and for that she had always known she was lucky.

Her dad's word interrupted her thoughts "Yes but you are your mother's first born, and it would go a long way to smooth things over between the two of you"

Bethany nodded, things had been strained between her and her mother lately. Right before she had turned 21 she had made the decision to move to the French Quarter full time and live with her dad and it had hurt her mother. Her mom had not been ready for her to leave the protection of pack, had not been ready to let her child go, and it had cause tension between them.

Bethany looked up at her father from her drink and studied his face for a moment. Oh My God he was trying to get her out of the house for a few days Bethany realized. He was trying to hide something from her. So proud of her for catching his manipulation before he had succeeded, she gave him a self-satisfied smug smirk.

"You know if you wanted to get me out of the house for few days, you would have had way better luck with young lady get in the car. Using reason, logic, and the right and noble thing to do is Uncle Elijah's game. Now let's get back to the point what's going on?"

"So stubborn, wonder where she gets it from" Bethany could hear her uncle muttering from behind her.

"Fine then young lady get in the car" Klaus said

"Nah you missed your chance to use that one, so once again I ask what's the happs yo" Bethany laughed  
"You might as well tell her Niklaus. She going to keep digging until she finds out, and she's a member of this family, she has a right to know." Elijah concluded.

"Ha" Bethany shouted turning to point at her uncle. Turning back towards her father, hand still out stretched. "See what did I say reason, logic and the right thing to do"

Bethany watched the hard lines in her father's face begin to crease, and she knew she was only seconds away from completely losing this battle. Any second now her father would decree she was going to the bayou whether she liked it or not. She needed to switch tactic and fast, because being a smart ass was getting her nowhere.

Bargaining she decided. Giving her dad her most award winning smile she said "How about this you tell me what's going on and I don't touch grandma's grimoire for a wwwhole week"

Something about Bethany having that book bothered her dad. It was as if he thought somehow her grandma could poison her against him with it.

Although the hardness of his features did not change Bethany saw the smallest flicker of amusement in her dad's eye at her change in tactics before he countered "One month"

"8 days" Bethany fired back

"One month"

Bethany let out a huff then excitement hit her as thought of a counter offer "Oow 10 days and when the North Atlantic clan comes in, for the next full moon I promise to be there all bright eyed and bushy tailed"

"Two weeks and you're there for the clan coming in. Final offer" Klaus replied the tiniest of a smile playing on his lips.

"Deal" Bethany smiled.

Klaus gave her a nod and then motion for Elijah to tell her.

Bethany turned to her uncle Elijah feeling extremely proud of herself, and waited.

Elijah cleared his throat and smiled "Your aunt is coming for a visit"

Bethany's whole face light up and she squealed with excitement.

After allowing Bethany a moment to contain herself, Elijah added "And Niklaus you will be on your best behavior because she is bring a guest"

"Aunt Rebekah and Uncle Matt are coming" Bethany gasped

**Somewhere on the Otherside**

A young man with golden hair and bright blue eyes stood watching the events in the Mikaelson kitchen unfold. They were all starting to come together. If anyone could bring them together it would be Bethany, he had faith in her.

Bonnie appeared beside him.

"What are you doing Hun?" Bonnie asked as she looked around at the Mikaelsons who couldn't see her.

"Nothing just watching, Rebekah is coming home and she is bring Matt" the young man replied.

"So they are starting to come together then that means the time is approaching. Good. It's about time they have all been on the run too long, and you don't deserve to be trapped here any longer." Bonnie smiled.

"Aunt Bonnie do you think she should be bring them all together. What if it's too dangerous for her or the magic or Markos is too strong?" the young man asked

"If anyone can handle bring them together it's your sister, trust me, they have to defeat Markos to bring you into the world of the living. It's where you should be. You have to remember you never died hunny, you're supposed to have a life, a real one with your family. Trust me, if your mother had thought for a second that you were possible, let alone in existence at the time we did the spell that passengered a part of me into each of them, she would have never gone through with it. She would have never had risked you" Bonnie concluded.

Bonnie smiled at the young man who had brought her so much joy in the last almost 21 she had been trapped on the otherside hidden away from Markos grasp. To say it was the surprise of a life time when she figured out she was pregnant was an understatement. When the Mystic Falls gang had found a way to passenger her into the four of them that held a piece of her, she was sure none of them had even thought it was possible that they were pregnant. Whether it was the spell combining part of herself with her friends that had allowed for a child to be come to term, or something special about the boy himself Bonnie wasn't completely sure, in fact she hadn't even known whose child she had been carrying until, he had been born with golden hair and bright blue eyes. His birth had saved the otherside from falling apart, a living being trapped among dead, was the balance to Markos who was supposed to be dead being in the world of the living. He was their savior, and no one on the otherside would ever let anything happen to him, they all loved him.

"It's time for your mother to come Mate and time for you to go be with our family" Kol smiled at his nephew joining the little group of watchers.

**A/N Did anyone caught the reference to Stefan's old show Wolf Lake?**

**And let me apologize now because updates are going to be slower than I planned…I am getting married in just over 4 months, so right now wedding planning is taking up the majority of my free time, and leaving me very little time to write. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N...so I know it's been almost a year since I have written anything, but this is my try back. so be kind please. Please leave Reviews and let me know what you think. i completely understand if i have be gone too long for there to be any interest left in this story. **

**Thanks for all the patience guys.**

**Cora **

In her entire life Bethany could only think of once her Aunt had come to visit, she had been barely old enough to remember it, and technically she had never met her Uncle Matt in person but thanks to the joy that is Skype she had grown up with her Aunt as a large presence in her life.

Hell if the stories her Uncle Marcel and Aunt Cami relentlessly teased her about were true, at the tender age of five she had dubbed her Uncle Matt her first boyfriend. She would put on her favorite princess dress, all her costume jewelry and announce she was going on a date. She would set up a tea party in front of the computer and patiently await her Uncle and Aunt's arrival on the screen. Aunt Rebekah had gone as far as to find the matching tea set so that their dates were complete. Rebekah had claimed that Bethany's childhood crush meant that at least she had good taste, her father however had started plotting her Uncle Matt's demise for like the 150 billionth time.

"Now little love if your going to be here for your Aunt's visit it is imperative that no one knows she is here not even your mother. Do you understand?"

"Yup got it big secret I promise cross my heart" Bethany beamed a radiant smile at her father while making the symbol of a cross over her chest.

Bethany didn't care if she had to walk down Bourbon street wearing a glittery tutu and fuzzy pink bunny slipper as long as she got to see her Aunt

"She will be here after dark" Elijah smiled at her answering Bethany's next question before she could ask.

Forgetting all about her coffee, Bethany skipped out of the kitchen. She was so excited she could barley contain herself, one would have thought she was a five year old who had gotten a pony for Christmas. Okay Okay she had actually gotten a pony for Christmas when she was eight and this was way better than that.

Rummaging through her closet Bethany tired to find an out fit that relayed that specialness of the occasion. She was going to spend some real time with her Aunt, as the only two Mikealson females they shared a unique bond. Aunt Rebekah alone understood the joy and security that came with being loved by her father, yet what an epic asshat he could be when that love turn into overbearingness and overprotectiveness. Aunt Rebekah had a 1000 year of experience getting Klaus to respect her decisions and her independence, Bethany was only now beginning her journey with that.

A soft knock on her bedroom door drew Bethany for her internal thoughts, she opened it to find her father standing there hold out his hand. Bethany stared at it for a moment before remembering their agreement. Damn there goes doing another spell tonight.

With a huff Bethany turned from her father to retrieve her grandmother's book "I would have brought it down to you, you didn't have to come get it jeez no trust".

"Actually you forgot this" Klaus said with a smirk putting her coffee/blood mixture down on her bedside table, while taking the book Bethany offered.

"Oh" she sheepishly replied while picking up her drink and taking a sip.

"Hey Dad why don't you like Uncle Matt?" Bethany asked partly because she had always been curious and partly to cover up her rudeness.

"Little love if I went over all the reason I didn't care for your Aunt's quarterback fling then we would be here well into the next century, and we have much to do before your Aunt arrives" Klaus answered in a off handed manner.

Bethany shook her head how her father could call Rebekah's and Matt's 18 year relationship a fling was beyond her, but she let it go as her father turned and left the room. She knew for a fact that the reason her father didn't like her Uncle had nothing to do with her Aunt. Not that her father had realized it but she long ago figured that his disapproval was nothing more than an act. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the fairy tales he would tell her about the princess who meant a stable boy and found love in it's most pure and complete form was about her Aunt, or that the one about the King who found a Queen whose inner light and beauty broke through the darkest shadows was about Caroline. No his outward disapproval was the act of an older sibling looking out for a younger one. If Bethany was being honest with herself it was that same thing she did whenever Riley or Andrea brought home a potential boyfriend or girlfriend, as the oldest it was her right to hold the opinion that no one was good enough for her siblings even if said person impressed the hell out of her.

No, there was something else behind her father's dislike of Matt something much more personal. She had never had the courage to directly ask if her Uncle had known Caroline, the time line and dates Bethany had put together over the years suggested that they might of known each other, for that matter she figured her mom must have known her too. But something always kept Bethany from directly asking anyone else about Caroline, it was as if Caroline and her father's feelings for her was their little secret, and that bonded them even further. It was a part of himself that Klaus refused to let anyone but his daughter see. Bethany had always known her father had shown the world the face of a monster incapable of feeling, but in the moments when she would watch him draw, so intent in getting the perfect curve of Caroline's cheek or perfect shape of her eyes, it was clear that deep within her father's heart a love burned that could not extinguished.

Tonight she would do the spell again Bethany decided. It wasn't as though she didn't know the spell by heart by now but this time she would add something a little extra. She might not be able to get a hold of her father's blood but she could add her own right. She was half Klaus's blood and if she was correct and her mother had known Caroline too, then the other half of her blood could only help things.

Bethany smiled to herself, she had a battle plan and come hell or high water she had every intention of winning the war. You never wanted to face a Mikealson when it came to war.

The day passed much to slowly for Bethany's liking, fulled with an awkward conversation with her mom when she told her she wasn't coming to the bayou for tonight's full moon, but promised to be there next month no matter what, another visit from her Aunt Davina, and more people rushing around then she could keep track of.

Her Aunt's arrival was filled with hugs and kisses and "oh bloody hell your so grown ups". Dinner was a pleasant and fun occasion, everyone laughed, joked and told stories everything a well mannered family reunion should be. For a Mikealson gathering it was plain out uneventful, no dagger threats or snide comments but every time her father thought she wasn't paying attention his focus would zero in on her Uncle Matt. Bethany could see the vein in his forehead throb, and intent look in his eyes she knew far too well. It was the look of a predator tracking his prey, waiting for the right moment to strike, as part wolf Bethany knew exactly what her father was doing, it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose. There was an attacking coming and her Uncle Matt would be the deer caught in her father's headlights.

The full moon had began to rise an hour ago and Bethany was getting twitchy, she absolutely did not want to miss her chance to again cast her spell, but the timing had to be right. If anyone noticed her momentary absence they would come looking for her, and the last thing anyone need was her father more on edge then he already was. And him catching her doing one of her grandmother's spell was a sure fire not only to put her father on edge but to push him all the way off the cliff.

Her opportunity presented itself when her Uncle Elijah opened their third bottle of scotch that evening and suggested they move their little reunion to the courtyard. Watching how intently her Aunt Rebekah and her Uncle Elijah were watching her father watch her Uncle Matt, Bethany seized the moment to excuse herself to go change, stated that she wanted out of her dress and heels, and into something comfy.

Dashing up the stairs and into her bedroom, Bethany made quick work of grabbing her candle and everything else she need to complete her spell. Carefully she slid the picture of Caroline out of its hiding spot inside her case of art supplies. After 6 months the paper was so covered in wax you could no longer tell there was ever a drawing there. Starting the spell she took care to do everything exactly has she had done every other time, except when it came time to burn the picture of her father. She pricked her finger and added three drops of her own blood to the wax. As she dripped the wax over the picture her only thought was God please let this work. As she repeated the same two words she always said, a blackness swallowed her consciousness whole, whisking her away into a world of darkness.

Caroline was in this club for one reason and one reason alone, she was on the hunt, and the next idiot who thought it was a good idea to touch her was so dinner. Her causal string of one night stands had done nothing to stop the dreams of Klaus in fact it had only seemed to make them worse, she hadn't slept in almost a week and was so beyond starving it was ridiculous. God Markos was such an ass, she knew he was out there somewhere enjoying the hell out of her mental torture, but if he knew where the she was why didn't he just man up and come at her.

Caroline laughed and drank with her friends, she had even recently started hanging out with a vampire name Claire. It was nice to have someone else around that had the same alcohol tolerance she did.

It didn't take long before a poor unfortunate soul, found himself the winner of the I am dinner contest.

"Hey baby you look good enough to eat" said the poor fool who reeked of sophistication, charm and way too much of mommy and daddy's money a grease wicked smile forming on his lips. No doubt he was thinking about the best way to get her to do the walk of shame in the morning.

If only he knew he was the prey and not the predator, something about him reminded Caroline of Damon. Way too good looking and no humility.

Caroline leaned into the stranger pretending to be way more drunk then she was, giggling at his come on she replied "Oh really is that a fact but what if I want to eat you?"

"Let me buy you another drink" the fool said while taking the opportunity to pull her against him and rest his hand on the curve of her ass.

That was all Caroline needed to make her decision, leaning back towards Claire she whispered through the blaring music knowing that Claire's vampire hearing would pick up every word.

"Winner winner I found dinner" Caroline giggled

"I have been eying the blond at the end of bar all night, you know how I like blonds. Have fun" Claire replied in a sing song voice.

The stranger took the exchange between the two women to mean Caroline was a sure thing.

Caroline leaned back into the stranger batting her eyelashes "I think I have had enough to drink tonight, want to get out of here?"

The stranger simply nodded no reason to possibly ruin this with further talk.

As they exited the back door and walked about a block from the club the poor fool turned and said "Your place or mine baby"

Caroline pulled the man into an alley the veins in Caroline's face darkening "Oh here will do just fine baby". Sinking her teeth into the man's neck .

Listening to the sound of the man's decreasing heartbeat Caroline knew all too soon that it was time to release him. As she lifted her eyes from the flesh of his neck and began to release her bite something caught Caroline attention. There at the entrance of the alley was a woman, dark brown hair blue/green eyes the slightest look of confusion playing on her high cheek bones.

As their eyes met a smirking smile crossed the woman face bring out the dimples in her cheeks.

Caroline knew that smile it belonged to the man she had been dreaming of for months, it was without a doubt Klaus's smile.

The thought had barely began to register in Caroline's mind when the woman breathless whispered " I did it I found you"

As Caroline felt the man lifeless body slump in her arms a single tear rolled down her cheek. Klaus's daughter here right in front of her, how many times had wondered what she would look like, who she would be. Even when she had forced herself to banished the thoughts of all those she loved in order to keep suriving, Caroline had contuined allowed herself to keep picturing the child she had never met.

As the woman before Caroline began to shimmer and fade a look of horror crossed the woman face "Dammit no, not yet. The spell must not have been strong enough" Bethany spoke to herself. Meeting Caroline's eyes again she desperately pleaded " Caroline I know it's you. YOU HAVE TO COME HOME. Come to New Orleans. My dad needs you."

And with that the woman was gone.

Caroline shook her head trying to focus. Klaus' s daughter. It couldn't be, and Klaus needing her that wasn't right. Klaus didn't need anyone. It was all a lie she decided another vision sent by Markos to draw her out. He must be getting close, must know where she was. As she laid her unintended victim on the ground tears she hadn't let herself cry in almost 20 years sprang from her eyes. How much more cruel could Markos be, to use a vision of Klaus's daughter against her. Caroline couldn't count the number of nights she had laid awake thinking of that little girl. In her darkest moments of despair, when she had thought that it would be easier to let Markos catch her then to keep running, to keep being hunted, she would think of that child. Klaus's daughter had unknowingly become her sign of hope. Her reminder that the sacrifices she made was were worth it. After all as long as Markos couldn't get to Bonnie or the amulet, then he would never be a threat to someone like Klaus' s daughter, never go after her to siphon power from her.

Wiping the tears away, Caroline made up her mind. Klaus didn't need her to come home, no if anything he needed her to keep running, to protect his daughter from a danger he didn't know existed. As for Markos, using that vision against her was not something she was going to take lying down, sending horrible dreams, making her see Klaus that was fine but bring his daughter into this crossed the line. Two could play at that game. She would wait until he found her and when he thought he finally had her, she would run again leading him on the world biggest game of hide and seek ever. Markos might be stronger but she was angrier. Challenge accepted Markos, Challenge accepted Caroline thought to herself.

As she looked down into the lifeless eyes of her victim, Caroline sighed. As she prepared to dump his body in a dumpster she couldn't help but feel guilty. She hadn't meant for him to die, and now here she was throwing him away like an empty takeout box. As she exited the alley and started to make her way back to her apartment, she knew next time she dreamed her guilt over her accidentally kill would force her to relive the worst thing she had ever done. She didn't need Markos interference to know that next time she dreamed she would dream of Pierre.

Bethany came to on her bedroom floor. The spell had worked she had seen Caroline. It had to be her, yes her hair color was different but those eyes were that same eyes she had seen stared back at her in every picture her dad drew. She wished the spell had lasted longer, at least long enough to have a conversation, instead of her mindless yelling at the poor woman. Jeez talk about worst first impressions ever Bethany chided herself. Now all Caroline knows about is I like to yell randomly at strangers, just great but Caroline had been kind of busy so maybe she would forgive that. Bethany thought about the fact that Caroline had been feeding when Bethany had popped in on her. Her dad had always said Caroline only ever drank from blood bags, but she pushed that thought away, maybe she had just been in a desperate spot or something, plus it wasn't like the guy died or anything.

She needed to figure out a away to make the spell last longer, maybe next time she could use more of her own blood. She hadn't even been there long enough to figure out where she was. All she had time to see has Caroline and an alley before she had been whisked back. Then it hit her. Her blood, her magic. She could do a locator spell on her own magic, she could track where the spell had taken her. She didn't need to look for Caroline, now that she had been there she only need to look for herself.

Grabbing the glass globe her Uncle Elijah had given her for her fourth birthday, because that's what every four years old wants for their birthday, she pricked her finger again and allowing the drops to land, while she began to chant. With renewed hope she watched as the drops moved and settled on Amsterdam. Just a smile crossed her lips all hell broke loose downstairs. As Bethany flashed downstairs all she could hear was a loud crash, the sound of her father yelling, her aunt screaming, her Uncle Matt choking for air and her Uncle Elijah sternly commanding her father to let go of her Uncle Matt, and the name Caroline.


End file.
